Before They Fell
by radiant-gem
Summary: Maybe they weren't supposed to fit in with everyone else. Maybe they were supposed to complete each other instead.


"Hey look! A puzzle box!"

Terra looked over his shoulder from the trash bin he was in and wiped his hands on his shirt. It didn't really help get the gunk out of it, but it was a force of habit at this point. "Is the whole puzzle inside there? Maybe we can keep it to play with it at home."

Aqua laid out the box on the cobblestone ground, swatting away any fallen leaves before lifting the cover open. She pouted in disappointment, "There's only two puzzle pieces in here."

Terra bent over next to Aqua and picked one of the pieces up, examining it, "Man. . . That sucks. Why would they throw out only two puzzle pieces, and not all of them?"

"Maybe these two were extras, and they already had the whole puzzle." Her face fell as she picked up the other piece, "They were just extras."

Noticing the change in demeanor, Terra's brows furrowed in concern, "Is something wrong Aqua?"

Aqua sighed and continued to stare down at the puzzle piece, "It's just- we're just like these two puzzle pieces. Extras that are just useless to the already finished puzzle. The town has all the puzzle pieces it needs to be complete, it doesn't need us," Her voice cracked, "It doesn't want us."

Terra clenched his fists hearing her words. He couldn't necessarily say it wasn't true. They've been living like this for about 2 years now, jumping into garbage bins, hoping to find some edible leftovers inside. Every day they struggled to make due by making some munny. Whether it was by selling things from Aqua's house or just digging up coins from the local fountain- their main focus was to survive. And they barely got by.

The townspeople knew who they were, they knew that they didn't have a real home or anybody to care for them. They all knew, but they didn't do anything about it. So yeah, maybe it was true. The town didn't want them, so they didn't help them.

To Terra, the thought wasn't that disheartening. He's always had to struggle to survive, even before meeting Aqua. Sure, the orphanage took care of him for a bit, but he never belonged there, not really. He can see why it hurt Aqua though, she wasn't always an orphan. She had somewhere to belong at one point in time, or something like it anyway. But that was years ago, and even now, they still don't belong there, no matter how hard they tried.

Trying to find the right words to say, Terra looked at his puzzle piece and took a seat in front of Aqua, facing her. "But look," he gently took her hand that was holding the other piece and joined the two pieces together, "We fit each other perfectly."

Aqua looked up at Terra with a look in her eye Terra couldn't really decipher. He scratched his cheek and continued, "We might not fit in with the town, but maybe, we were never supposed to fit in with it. Maybe we were supposed to fit each other instead."

Aqua's eyes flared open at his statement and Terra flushed in response. _Shoot_. He didn't mean for the last part to come out wrong.

"Er, uh, I mean fit _in_ together! N-not like-" He was cut off by a pair of skinny arms wrapping around his neck. He could feel the smile on her face as she rested her head on Terra's shoulder. "I know what you meant silly."

Relieved, Terra exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding as he wrapped his arms around Aqua's waist, "Good."

Content with the embrace, Terra closed his eyes and rested his chin on Aqua's shoulder. If he focused hard enough in the hug, he could forget about how hungry he was. He could forget about the all the leaves on the ground, and what it meant for them. A gust of wind blew through the alley, causing Aqua to tighten her grip in response. Unfazed by the wind, Terra began to rub Aqua's upper back in the hopes of warming her up a bit, knowing she was naturally cooler than he was.

He thought he imagined it, but he could've sworn he felt a grin grow on her face as she lifted her head from his shoulder. Before he could even open his eyes to see what Aqua was up to, he felt her quickly peck his cheek. His eyes shot open as his whole body went rigid. He felt his face grow exceedingly warm, the heat spreading to the tips of his ears. His mouth hung open, silently moving as if in an attempt to get some words out. Maybe if his brain didn't short-circuit, he would've been able to say something. He promptly gave up on the notion and decided to just bury his face in her hair.

Aqua hid her face in the crook of Terra's neck, and he could feel her beaming at his ruffled state. It was probably all she could do to keep herself from outright laughing at his reaction. It wasn't the first time she did it, but even so, she didn't do it often enough for it to not be embarrassing, so she knew exactly what to expect from him.

Once she was able to regain control of herself, she unwrapped her arms from his neck and stood up, "I think we should go home now."

Terra avoided her eyes as he lifted himself off the ground, still self-conscious over what just happened, "Hm."

Giggling softly, Aqua held out her hand to him and smiled brightly. Albeit he was still avoiding her gaze, Terra joined their hands together, trying to hold back a smile. He failed.

* * *

"Despite my repeated efforts to calm this restlessness, it has continued to plague me for weeks now. I have read all the books in the castle library, I have meditated, I went to the town nearby and nothing seems amiss. And yet this feeling continues to bother me," Master Eraqus sighed, frustrated.

The scarlet crystal embedded in the castle walls revealed a pensive Yen Sid reflecting off the crystal's light. His eyes were closed as he stroked his long grey beard, humming in thought.

"As far as I am concerned, there is no threat between the balance of light and darkness. With that in mind, there is no need to be worried about any incoming danger."

"Then what could it be?"

Yen Sid stopped stroking his beard and opened his eyes at Eraqus, "When was the last time you left the Land of Departure?"

Master Eraqus crossed his arms in contemplation, "It has been a few months now, if my memory is correct."

At this, Yen Sid stared at Eraqus pointedly, "Master Eraqus, I am sure you haven't forgotten the lessons about importance of changing your surroundings the Master taught us in our training years."

Eraqus chuckled, although a bit sheepishly, "No, I haven't forgotten."

"Perhaps it is time to take break from your familiar surroundings. Go to a new world for a spell, and maybe that alone will bring you out of this 'rut' you've been suffering from. And who knows," Yen Sid paused as he looked over his chair at the stars shining outside his window, "you may even meet someone who will enable you to see from a new perspective," when he turned back towards Eraqus, there was a knowing look in his eyes

Eraqus arched his eyebrow at the vague statement, but didn't question it. It wasn't the first time Yen Sid gave him an obscure reading of the stars, and he knew even if he asked for any elaboration, he wouldn't get any. Besides, his predictions came true more often than not, and this one seemed harmless enough. If anything, it sounded as if leaving will do more good than anything else. He shook his head lightly and gave his old friend a warm smile, "Very well. I will take your advice and visit a new world tomorrow."


End file.
